Winter is DEFINITELY here! Like many people here in the VBFS community, I was sick last week with a cold, and the snow days really helped to make for a very weird extended end to the first semester! This week we begin the second semester, and hopefully everyone is feeling better. Of course, the weatherman is forecasting yet another snowstorm, so this first week of the new semester may get a little crazy too! What a way to end the year of the Snake and begin the Year of the Horse [this will be 4712 on the lunar calendar]! With the new semester, all of my classes change, and I have “retired” the first semester pages and loaded the new class pages for this semester. All of the syllabi are now available for download, along assignments and other course information. An interesting aspect of the beginning of a new semester and a new year is the addition of three new students to the VBFS US community: The Class of 2017 welcomes a new student, Wilson, who is here from China. The Class of 2016 welcomes Daniel to their group. The Class of 2015 welcomes an exchange student from Denmark this week. Victor comes to us from Copenhagen for several months of enrichment, and he will be with us until June. Advisory: I have handed out the information about the ski trip planned for February 14th, the free practice test for the SAT being given by Kaplan at Cape Henry next month, and we are making plans for our annual Valentine’s Day fundraiser—so get ready to order those pink carnations!American Literature: We will begin this week with the remaining presentations of the Advanced Composition I-Search projects that we didn’t get to last week or the week before! Then we will get our new textbooks [the “cinderblock”] and go over the syllabus before turning to an introductory film for this course: The New World. We will also be discussing our first major assignment covering “The Beginnings to 1700” in our textbook [specifics are on the syllabus].Art History II: We will explore Eastern Art for the first few weeks of the term, once we get our textbooks and review the syllabus. We will also spend some time discovering what it is that each of us is drawn to when we are offered an opportunity to select a work of art to share with the class. We will cover the art of India by reading the several chapters in our textbook--

Indian Art 1;

Indian Art 2: From Gupta to Pala;

Indian Art 3: Hindu Art;

The Kandarya Mahadeva Temple, Khajuraho; and,

Indian Art 4: Mughal and Rajput.

Once we have finished the readings, we will view the documentary Lost Treasures of the Ancient World: Ancient India—A Journey Back in Time.

Poetry and Nonfiction: We will pick up textbooks and review the syllabus before discussing the course expectations and literary terms we will be using in the next few months. The big component of this class is the poetry collection that students will compile as we read, write, and appreciate poetry in a rather unique way with our planned outings on B Fridays: Fridays Afield! Additionally we will review the first major assignment for the course, the Poets and Poetry Project [this handout is already uploaded and will be available in the next few days on Jupiter Grades as well]. The we will discuss the various types of nonfiction writing we will encounter over the next few months in class and watch an example of a travel narrative: A Year in Provençe.Shakespeare’s Tragedies and Histories: We will begin our study of Shakespeare’s Tragedies and Histories with a reading of The Tragedy ofRomeo and Juliet. Students get to choose parts and then read them out [with as much or as little emoting as they like!] and discuss the elements of stage direction as we determine what is happening in the play and how Shakespeare shapes our understanding of the world he depicts while allowing us as “creators” to have a part in bringing to life a believable world of fiercely loyal families engaged in blood feuds in a fictional Verona. The Word: The New Testament in Art, History, Literature, and Music: This term we turn to the New Testament and explore the beginnings of Christianity as it is birthed in Judaism and shaped by the Roman Empire before itself becoming an immense force in the world. Once we have our textbooks and have reviewed the syllabus, we will discuss our first major assignment, The Object Speaks—The New Testament in Art [this handout is already uploaded and will be available in the next few days on Jupiter Grades as well]. Then we will look at the transition from a Jewish point of view [the Old Testament] to a Christian point of view as we screen Ben Hur.

World Literature: We will start out by giving those in the Fundamentals of English Composition class who did NOT have a chance to present their literature projects some time to complete this before moving on to the syllabus and textbook [“the brick”] for this course. Our first unit will focus on “Travel and Self-Recognition in the Face of the Other,” and we will be reading two short selections from our textbook:

“The Invention of Writing and the Earliest Literatures” and

“Ancient Greece and the Formation of the Western Mind”

followed by a discussion of our first assignment, a multi-media project focusing on one of the gods or goddesses of Greek/Roman mythology [this project is detailed in the syllabus]. We will finish up the week by screening Troy, a loose adaptation of Homer’s famous epic, The Iliad. So, a busy week of getting started with a new semester and a new year may be impacted by yet another snow day; we shall have to wait and see! This is a B week--Stay warm! Teacher Barb :)

It is hard to believe, but this week marks the end of the first semester. In less than six months, the Class of 2014 will graduate and go on to greater adventures. With the beginning of the second semester, we have a new schedule for elective course [see the sidebar for the new schedule]. I have gone though everyone's diploma worksheet to make sure that each of you is on track for graduation, and I have already scheduled some of your electives to keep you on track, so please do NOT ask me to make changes for those classes! I am emailing your diploma worksheets and your tentative schedules to you on Sunday, OR you can pick up your schedule from me on Monday and make selections for any blocks for which you do not already have a class scheduled. I will not be handing out diploma worksheets, however, as the grades for this semester will not be entered for several weeks, so there are no major changes from when you received these last summer. [I am trying hard to keep my tree-killing copying to a minimum!]

There are several new classes on the schedule which may require a little explanation:

Computer Coding [Block 2—T. Jeff]: We live in an increasingly digital world, and our devices use programs to work correctly. “Computer science is the art of blending human ideas and digital tools to increase our power. Computer scientists work in so many different areas: writing apps for phones, curing diseases, creating animated movies, working on social media, building robots that explore other planets and so much more." [ http://csedweek.org/about ] This introductory programming class is “the first step on a journey to learn more about how technology works and how to create software applications.” Anyone can learn to code, so take this class, and you could end up building an app for your smart phone or even “building” a digital game! [Counts towards the four credits in Arts/Music/Technology which you must earn in order to graduate.]

Latin American Studies [block 2—T. Mary]: Teacher Mary will take students on a cultural and historical journey through Latin America. This is NOT a foreign language class, but you could end up learning a few new words or phrases while learning about our neighbors to the south! [Counts as a General Elective and credits needed toward graduation.]

Rhythm and Motion [bock 4—T. Charisse]: In this class, you will explore the cross-sections of rhythm in our environment, including movement, instrumentation [drums/percussion], words, and media. You will have an opportunity to do an independent project exploring an area of interest to you under this umbrella topic. [Counts towards the four credits in Arts/Music/Technology which you must earn in order to graduate.]

Broadcast Production [block 7—T. Jeff]: This class is designed for the SERIOUS student who wants to do more with audio/visual production and is willing to work on film and audio productions covering a wide variety of purposes and audiences, hopefully to include a weekly broadcast for the school community. [Counts towards the four credits in Arts/Music/Technology which you must earn in order to graduate.]

Forensics: Performance [block 7—T. Megan]: For those of you who can't get enough of the “spoken word,” this performance based class will give you an additional opportunity to work with Forensics [NOT the CSI-type, this is the study or art of formal debate or argumentation!] and stand-up. [Counts towards the four credits in Arts/Music/Technology which you must earn in order to graduate.]

If you have any questions concerning other classes, please do not hesitate to ask me! I am trying to complete a revision of the course catalog for Upper School, but there just do NOT seem to be enough hours in the day on this planet!

Class of 2015:We need one or two people to volunteer to take out the trash and the recycles for the month of January... Remember, there are enough of us now that each person is tasked with trash/recycles for one month, and then you are “done” for the year except for cleaning your cubbies! Speaking of which.... SOME of you need to do some cleaning up, and that includes stuff you are “storing” on TOP of the cubbies!

Advanced Composition:Your final Reading Journals will be collected on Monday....This week is the week you have been anticipating or dreading, depending upon whether you have been working on your I-Search project over the last four months or you put it off until this past weekend.... On Monday you will turn in your Business Letter to me with your needs for your project presentation listed [if any] and an explanation of any changes you needed to make in the resources [if any], and a final note about what you thought of this project. Additionally, you will have time to put any finishing touches on your I-Search Project and/or presentation as you must present your project to the class on Wednesday. The presentation should consist of a SHORT introduction to your project which touches upon the following:

WHAT you wanted to find out,

A DESCRIPTION of your search process [successes and failures, if any], and

WHAT you learned.

On Wednesday you will present your I-Search Project to the class and turn it in for your final grade.

Art History I: We finish Art History I with a last look at the 18th Century through two final chapters on Tuesday:

Gainsborough: Mary, Countess Howe

Landscape: View-Painting and the Grand Tour

You will have time on Tuesday to put any finishing touches on your final assignment for the course: The Virtual Curator: The Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Each of you should have created a Glogster for the artist and the work you selected [see below]:

Walker: Giovanni Bellini--The Saint Zaccaria Altarpiece

Kaleigh: Giorgione--The Tempest

Paddy: Dürer—The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Sarah O: Bruegel--August, or The Corn Harvest

Alexa: Tintoretto--The Scuola di San Rocco Crucifixion

Cori: Caravaggio—The Conversion of Saint Paul

Zoie: Annibale Carracci--The Farnese Gallery

Lane: Bernini--The Cornaro Chapel

Maddie: Poussin--The Holy Family on the Steps

Villette: Velazquez—Las Meninas

Sarah P: Hals--A Banquet of the saint George Civic Guard

Sky: Ruisdael--The Jewish Cemetery

Thomas: Vermeer—The Artist's Studio

Remember, your Glog MUST include:

A background [mini biography] of your artist

A title—include the name of the artist;

At least THREE visuals;

At least TWO text boxes;

At least TWO live links to relevant websites;

ONE audio or video clip/file which enhances your Glog/presentation; and,

CITATIONS [or links] for your sources.

Your final presentations are due on Thursday, January 16th!

Fundamentals of Composition: This week we will finish Strategies for Successful Writing with a discussion of Chapter 18: The Essay Examination. I will pick up your final reading journals on Tuesday, January 14th. On Thursday, you will be presenting your Literature Project to the class before turning these in. As noted on your assignment sheet for this project:

In lieu of a final exam for this course, you will create a project focusing on any element of a novel of your choice —setting, plot, theme, character development, symbolism, irony--or a combination of several elements. You will be presenting a quick review of your project to the class, but regardless of the focus you choose, your project presentation should last, at a minimum, 4-6 minutes; your presentation for the class MAY NOT exceed 8 minutes. Your project may take almost any media form: a PowerPoint or film presentation with accompanying written notes, a discussion booklet for a literature circle with assignments and assessment tools, a board/computer game using specific information from the novel, artwork/maps, a mobile, or other artistic creations demonstrating your understanding of this work and its theme(s).

Your project will be evaluated on you inclusion and creative use of:

A review of the work’s structure and a summary of the plot;

The discussion of rhetorical and literary devices used by the author/director to create a specific style and tone;

The selection of at least one major element of fiction (setting, character development, plot, etc.) as a focus of your project;

A coherent presentation that engages the class and enhances our understanding and appreciation of this work; and,

Clear, concise, complete, and correct written work.

The Literature Project is due on Thursday, January 16th. Remember, you will be presenting this to the class, so think of how you plan to convince us to read the book you have been reading!

Science Fiction/Fantasy: We finish up our exploration of speculative fiction and its goals with I, Robot this week. Your second response paper is due on Wednesday, January 15th. Don’t forget to respond to our final blog post by Saturday, the 18th, at midnight!

The Word: Art, History, Literature, and Music in the Old Testament: On Tuesday, we will have time to work on your final assignment for the Old Testament: “An Afternoon with Biblical Figures from Genesis through the Prophets.” As a reminder, your Old Testament Character Presentations are due on Thursday, January 16th!We will be presenting in order of your character's/characters' appearance in the Old Testament.... The requirements for the project are listed on your assignment sheet and are as follows:

Prepare a written handout highlighting the major events/themes of your figure’s/s’ story/stories and including a picture of the figure/figures [the pictures may be taken from the Internet, but cite your source SPECIFICALLY! NOTE: NOT “Google Images” [you will need 18 copies];

Include a map showing where in Asia [current, ancient, or both] “your” story is believed to have taken place. You may create the map yourself or use an existing source, but please give proper credit to the source of the map;

Incorporate elements of music, art, acting, dance, food, or another creative sensory medium to tell “your” story [commercial film is NOT allowed as we have already watched several films!];

Be sure to correctly CITE all of your sources in MLA; and,

Be prepared to answer questions about “yourself” based on our readings and connections to art, history, literature, and music.

Just in case you have left this until the last minute, and you can't remember who chose whom, here is the list: